Means for tire inflation.



L. S. BROWN.

MEANS FOR TIRE INFLATION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 190B.

Patented Jan. 18,1910.

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Application filed November 7,

To all whom it may concerm.

Be it known that I, LUTHER iSI BROWN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Lemoore, in the county of Kings and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Means for Tire Inflation, ofwhich the-following is a specification.

This invention relates to inflation of automobile tires and the like,and the main object of the invention is to provide means whereby suchinflation may be accomplished quickly and easily and without thenecessity of stopping the vehicle.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate t the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of the chassis of an automobile showing theapplication of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a partial verticalsection of a wheel of an automobile showing the means of conductingcompressed gas to the interior of the tire. Fig. dis a transversesection on the line as -m in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of anautomobile wheel.

1 designates the running gear frame of an automobile provided with axles2, on which are mounted the automobile wheels 3. The said wheels areprovided with pneumatic tires 4. The means for charging or inflatingthese tires with compressed gas, for example, carbonic acid gas, or air,or other gas, comprises a storage tank or reservoir 6 mounted insuitable position on the running Specification of Letters Patent.-

1908. Serial No. 461,575.

coupling consisting of aninner member 13 connected to thehub 14 of theautomobile wheel to rotate therewith and provided with an annular groove15, and an outer annular member or collar 16 surrounding the member 13and having a passage 18, and a nipple 19 communicating withsaid passageand adapted to enter the end of the supply pipe 9. Inner member 13 has aflange 17 for holding the outer member 16 in position and packing rings20 are provided for preventmg leakage. Said outer member is split, itstwo halves being fastened together by bolts 21, and said outer member 16is held from rotation by springs 23 connected there- 0 and to a bracket24 fixed on the axle 2. These springs yieldingly hold the member 16 fromrotation, while allowing the movements necessitated by the strains onthe parts, without binding of the bearing. The annular groove 15,aforesaid, in the inner member 13 communicates by a duct 25 in a flangedhub 14 with a nipple 26 on the flanged hub 14 extending in a bore 27 ina poke 3 of the automobile wheel, and a pipe 28 screwing onto saidnipple is connected by a union 29 with a valve 30 communicating with theinterior of the pneumatic tire 4. The pipe 28 preferably extends closeto one of the spokes 3 of the automobile wheel so as o protect said pipefrom injury.

The operation isas follows: The reservoir or tank 6 having been chargedwith arbonic gas or compressed air or other gas to a suitable pressure,and it being desired gear frame or other part of the automobile, toinflate any one or more of the tires. the

a main pipe 7 connected to said tank as by c orresponding valve 10 isopened, allowing means of a fixed pipe 8, a plurality of pipes thecompressed gas to flaw through the ap- 9, connected to the respectivetires of the automobile wheels and valves 10 controlling communicationbetween the said main and the said pipes, respectively. A main pressuregage 11, connected to the reservoir or the main pipe 7, serves toindicate the pressure existing in the reservoir, and an, auxilt iarypressure gage 12 in each of the distribut sure which is being applied tothe tire. In order to enable the gas to be supplied to the 1 tirewithout the necessity of stopping the 5 s vehicle, or of making acoupling to the tire every time inflation is required the pipes .9 Icommunicate with the automobile tire through means providing forcontinuous communication irrespective of the position of the wheels.Such means comprises a propriate pipe 9 to the tire requiring inflation. This flow of gas will ensue irrespective of the condition ofrotation or of the angular position of the wheel whose tire is beinginflated. \Vhen the pressure in the tire has reached the proper point,as indicated by he reading on the corresponding gage 12, he valve isclosed.

The operation of inflating the t1re is almost instantaneous andnecessitates no deay for the attaching of a coupling or the topping andstarting of the machine. The

storage tank 6 may be recharged when necessary or may be removed and acharged tank substituted, said tank having-a valve 33 and a coupling 34for that purpose.

What I claim is:" The combination of an axle, a wheel hav Patented J an;18, 1910.

:1 spoke formed with a bore, a pipe connected with the nipple at itsinner end, a union connecting the outer end of the pipe with the valve,an inner member formed with an annular groove connected with the duct inthe flanged hub and provided with a flange, a split outer annular memberformed with a passage and a nipple, means for securing the parts of theouter annular member together,

' ing a pneumatic tire provided with a valve I a bracket fixed to theaxle, and springs yielda hub formed with a duct and a nipple, an

ingly connecting the outer annular member with the bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 15 my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 31st day of October 1908.

LUTHER S. BROWN.

In presence of- G. T. HACKLEY, P. H. SHELTON.

